Treating ores.



PATENTED JULY 31, 1906.

F. J. CRANE. TREATING ORES. APPLICATION rum) AUG.17,1905.

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, TREATENG URE$B Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented duly 31, 1906.

Application filed August 17,1905. Serial No. 274,594.

To aZZ whom, it may concern: 4

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. CRANE, of Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Treating Ores; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The primary object of my invention is to provide simple and inexpensive means for oxidizing and desulfurizing refractory or smelting ores, as well as the so-called finemilling or oxidized ores.

A further object is to enable the oxidizing of ores, especially tellurium ores, to be accomplished in less time and in a more thorough manner than has heretofore been possible.

A further object is to insure the pulverizing of refractory ores during the treatment thereof to effect oxidation.

In the cyaniding methods as heretofore practiced the oxidizing has been effected by aerating in large flat tanks, the solution being allowed to percolate. This requires constant agitation for quite a long period, so that the pulp will be exposed over and over again to the action of the air.

According to my invention the pulp is constantly exposed to the action of ozone, which is so thoroughly intermixed therewith as to insure the oxidation of the ores in a very shprt time, thus greatly increasing the outp it and lessening the cost of treatment. This I accomplish by forcing the solution of pulp, with cyanid added, to the upper portion of a tank, from whence it passes through an ozone-containing chamber, the solution being constantly taken off from and returned tothe tank and in its passage entrains an additional supply of ozone, which by the action. of the circulating-pump is thoroughly beaten into the pulp. When, however, the solution is being drawn off to be filtered, the circulation is kept up through a secondary take-off pipe leading from thetank at a point near its ottom. in treating refractory ores previously ground to pass through, say, oneeighth or one-quarter mesh pulverization may be effected by the impact of the dis charge of the pump being directed against an arrester located above the ozone-containing chamber.

The invention willbe hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims. i In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with" my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the arrest'er omitted.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a tank having a conical bottom 2, into the ver tex of which opens a return or feed pipe 3, leading from a centrifugal pump a, which latter may be operated by any suitable means. A discharge-pipe 5 also leads from the bottom of the tank and is equipped with a valve 6. The feed-pipe 3 extends upwardly into the tank and is inclosed by a second larger piae 7, which I term the agitator-pipe. T e length of the feed-pipe 3 depends upon the character of the ore being treated. The

pipe at its upper end extends a short distance above the top of tank 1, and to it is socured a perforated diaphragm 8, from which depends an openbottom housing or chamber 9 concentric with pipe 7 and tank 1, a circular space being left between itself and the latter. The perforated diaphragm 8 forms the bottom of a discharge-receiving pan 10, and on said diaphragm is seated a-second or false bottom 12, also formed with perforations designed. to coincide with those of diaphragm 8. This false bottom has manipulating-handles 13, by which it may be turned axially for regulating the outlet from. the pan-that is to say, by increasing or decreasing the flow through the perforations of diaphragm 8.

This is necessary, since allsolutions are not of the same consistency and in case of caking would clog the erforations and interfere with the flow. T e false bottom. may be re tated back and forth for the purpose of freeing any obstruction and can be readily removedwhen it is desired to clean diaphragm 8.

14 designates a takeoff pipe leading from p tank, 1 near the top thereof, but at a point heneath ozone-chamber 9, such pipe opening through a vertical branch thereof into the receiving side of pump 4. A second take-off pipe 15, equi ped with a valve 16, opens into tank 1 near t e bottom thereof, which pipe is for the purpcse of kee ing the pump suplied when drawing off t e solution for termg through pipe 5. This prevents the pulp pose valve 16 is kept charged with I v 17 into ozone-chamber 9; but a portion thereis thoroughly ozone and forced through pipe of 1s entrained by the solution passing through take-off pipe 141 through a branch pipe 21, leading from pipe 17 and dependingsome distance into-the vertical branch of pipe 14. The-ozone s drawn in with the pulp is thoroughly beaten thereinto as the latter is returned to the tank. Of course the ozone unsiy be produced by other suitable means.

cured to the tank and the being treated, the telescopic n connection with the treatment of certam refractory ores ground to an insufficient extent to insure oxidation I mount an arrester 22 above the discharge-receiving pan, such arrester being in the form of a cone sepan by any suitable means. The feed-pip made telescopi or extensible, so that it will extend up to near the top of pipe 7, and the impact of'the discharge against the cone will be so great that the ores will be thoroughly pulverized. To avoidundue wear, the cone, which is made of steel, is provided at its vertex with a solid block 23, a ainst which the discharge will be directed. hen, however, the ores do not require to be pulverized while section 3* of be removed, so that the ore Wlll lag as it travels up through the agitatorpipe 7. 's is important, since in treating soft or free-milling rock, lime-stone, &c., pulverization beyond a certain point would make filtering very difiicult, and besides the feed pipe 3 may action. of the pump serves in itself to assist in pulverizing the ores to the necessary degree. The lagg' g within the agitating-pipe secures additional circulation of the entire ulp, and consequently greater admixing of-tlib air and ozone, as well as less pulverization.

In practice the pulp is preferably made up of one part of finely-ground ore and two of water with the cyanid mixed therewith ready to act on the ores as soon as the latter are in condition to be extracted. The solution which is drawn off through pipe 14 flows into the feed-pump, entraining the ozone with it, and the mixture is then discharged through feed-pipe 3 up into agitator-pipe 7, through which It is forced onto the discharge-receiving pan 10 or is directed with great forge against the arrester if the length of pipe 3 be increased by the addition of section 3. It will pass from the pan downwardly through The air in its e 3 is preferably sezezo the ozonechamber, thereby being further subjected to the action of ozone. This operation is continued until the extraction is complete, whereupon the solution is drawn off through pipe 5, pipe 15 being then opened up to prevent caking while the tank is being emptied. By this means I am enabled to treat tellurium or refractory as well as oxidized ores without the necessity-of roasting, and the entire operation .may be practiced in a very short time and with but little expense.

Although I have described the best means known to me for carrying out my invention, yet I do not restrict myself to the exact con struction shown and described, since changes may be made without departing, from the scope of my invention. For instance, tanks heretofore constructed with flat bottoms may be utilized, the ores and solution being taken off from the bottom andkept in an agitated state by slight discharges through pipes rad1- ating from the fe d-p1pe at a point adjacent to such bottom.

I claim as my invention- 1. The herein described apparatus for eating ores, comprising a tank, an ozonechamber in the upper portion of such tank, and means for drawing off the solution from such tank and returning it.thereto through the ozone-chamber.

2. The herein described apparatus for treating ores, comprising a tank, an ozonechamber in the upper portion of such tank, a pump, a pipe leading to such pump from such tank, a feed pipe leading from the pump and opening into the tank, and an agitator-pi e leading from such feed-pipe to and above t e ozone-chamber, the solution discharged from such agitator-pipe passing through the ozonechamber in its return to the tank.

3. The herein described apparatus for treating ores, comprising a tank, means for drawing the solution from such tank and returning it thereto, and means for suppl ing ozone to the tank at a point through w ch thesolution must pass as it is being returned to such tank.

4. The herein described apparatus for treating ores, comprising-a tank, means for drawing the solutionfrom the upper portion of such tank and returning it thereto at a still higher point, and means for supplying ozone to the solution as it is being drawn off from the tank, and also to the tank at a point in termediate the points at which the ozone is drawn off and returned to the tank such means forcing the ozone into the solution.

'5. The herein described ap aratus for treating ores, comprisin a tan an ozonean arrester lbcated above said :25

6. The herein 4 described algparatus for treating ores, comprisin a ta an ozonechamber, an arrester ocated above, said chamber, a pump, a pipe leading from the tank to such ump, and a return or feed pipe through whic the ore and solution are discharged against said ar ester before passing throu hsaid ozone-cha ber.

7. he herein described apparatus for treating ores, comprising a tank, an ozonechamber' in the u per portion of such tank, a pump, a pipe leading to such pump from the tank, a feed-pipe opening into the tank, an agitator-pipe lead: ing from such feed-pipe toand above the ozonechamher, and a an into which such agitator-pipe opens said rated bottom, the solution discharged from such agitatoripe passing through such bottom and also t ough such ozonechamber on its return to the tank.

8. The herein described a aratus for treating ores, comprising a'tan lk, an ozone-- chamber in the u per portion of such tank, a pump, a pi e lea mg to such pump from the tank, a fee -pipe leading from the pump and opening into the tank, an agitator-pipe leading fromsuch feed-pipe to and above the ozone-chamber, a pan into which such agita tor-pipe o ens, said pan having a erforated bottom, t e solution discharged om such leading from the pump and pan having a prfoagitator-pipe passing through such bottom and also through such ozone-chamber on its return to the tank, and a false perforated bottom fitted against said perforated bottom.

9. The herein described apparatus for treating ores, comprising a tank, means for drawing the solution from such tank and returningit thereto, an, ozone-chamber at" the top of the tank through which the returned so ution is caused to pass, and means for supplying ozone to such chamber and to the soi ution as it is drawn off from the tank.

,\ 10. The herein described apparatus for treating ores, comprising a tank, an ozonechamber at the top of the latter,'apump, a

take-0E pipe leading to such pump, a return or feed pipe leading from such pump to the tank, an ozdnechamber at the top' of the tank throughwhich the returned solution is caused to ass, an ozone-suppl pipe opening into sai ozone-chamber, a lir from said ozone-sup ly pipe into said takeoff, pipe, and means or su plying ozone.

In testimony ,whereof specification in the presence of two subscribing .Witnesses.

FRANCIS J. CRANE.

Witnesses:

T. B. STEARNS, A. B. KENNEDY.

have signed this anch pipe leading I 

